Bill Text: CA SB872 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Pupil enrollment: class size: report.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 614, Statutes of 2023. [SB872 Detail]
Download: California-2023-SB872-Chaptered.html
Senate Bill
No. 872
CHAPTER 614
An act to add Section 33317.5 to the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.
[
Approved by
Governor
October 08, 2023.
Filed with
Secretary of State
October 08, 2023.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 872, Min.
Pupil enrollment: class size: report.
Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and authorizes local educational agencies throughout the state to operate schools and provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires attendance in all schools and classes to be recorded and kept according to specified regulations. Existing law establishes the State Department of Education, under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and assigns to the department numerous duties relating to the financing, governance, and guidance of the public elementary and secondary schools in this state.
This bill would require the department to provide a report, to be published annually and made publicly available, of public school
enrollment information, as specified, in order for the public to easily determine specified information regarding class size for each schoolsite in every school district, county office of education, and charter school.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Results of the 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) released in 2014 shows that American teachers today work harder under much more challenging conditions than teachers elsewhere in the industrialized world.
(b) In the 2013 TALIS survey, United States teachers must cope with larger class sizes of 27 students per class versus the TALIS international average of 24.
(c) Teachers in the United States also reported spending many more hours than
teachers in any other country directly instructing children each week at 27 hours per week versus the TALIS international average of 19.
(d) Having increased numbers of students in every classroom places immense strain on the capacity of educators in our system to create the required lesson plans, direct instruction, review homework assignments and testing, and provide beneficial one-on-one instruction to assist struggling students.
(e) High class sizes lead to less time in their schedules for planning, collaboration, and professional development, as well as limited ability to provide tailored high-quality instruction to each student.
(f) Current state reports by Ed-Data.org provide an average snapshot of class
sizes in our public education system, however data is only provided with a multiple year gap and only reflects the averages of pupils to certificated staff, including librarians, counselors, and administrators, and so does not accurately portray the number of pupils in classes.
SEC. 2.
Section 33317.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:33317.5.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the department shall provide a report of public school pupil enrollment information, to be known as the “California raw class size data report,” in order for the public to easily determine all of the following data:(1) The average class size in each self-contained and departmentalized
class for each schoolsite in every local educational agency from transitional kindergarten through all elementary school grades.
(2) The average class size in each self-contained and departmentalized class for each schoolsite in every local educational agency for each middle school grade.
(3) The average class size in each self-contained and departmentalized class for each schoolsite in every local educational
agency for each high school grade.
(b) The report described in subdivision (a) shall be published annually and publicly available on the department’s internet website.
(c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Average class size” means the total course enrollment divided by the number of classes.
(2) “Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.
